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Can a stimulant medication for ADHD make the child taking it have mood swings and violent aggression?
Mental Health Expert
Dr. Charles Raison
Emory University Medical School
Dear Vanessa,
I learned many years ago that the answer to any question that starts with "Can a medication do ..." is always "Yes!" So yes, stimulants have been reported to have a range of adverse psychiatric effects on children taking them for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Just to be official about it, I have pulled out my Physicians Desk Reference, which is the "bible" of medication side effects.
Let's look at two of the most common psychostimulants, Adderall and Ritalin. In studies, 9 percent of patients receiving the extended release form of Adderall have emotional lability, which is a fancy word for mood swings. The PDR doesn't provide percentages for agitation, which is similar to violent aggression, but in studies, this is reported less than 2 percent of the time.
Your question is a very practical one, but it opens out onto one of the thorniest issues in all of medicine, which is how to tell whether any given medication is helping more than hurting any given patient at any given time. This becomes especially relevant in older folks who are often on tons of different medicines, all of which have their own side effects, and all of which can usually interact with one another.
The importance of this was really brought home to me recently in the form of a patient with mild depression who had been incapacitated by dizziness for at least five years. Her depression got a little worse, so her doctor switched her from Prozac to another antidepressant, and within five days, her dizziness had completely resolved and has not returned for more than six months. None of us thought of the Prozac in this patient, because she has a severe neurological condition that could have easily explained her dizziness.
So let me give some tips for how you can work with your doctor to decide whether the child in question is having mood swings and aggression because of psychostimulant use. The first thing to assess is whether the child might be abusing the stimulant. Stimulants are among the safest of all psychiatric medications when used as prescribed. But they are also prone to abuse, and in high doses they frequently produce all sorts of sinister side effects, including frank psychosis.
Let's assume the child is not abusing the stimulant. The next question to ask is whether there is a relationship in time between the psychostimulant and the symptoms. Let's take an extreme case. Suppose the child had always been emotionally stable and compliant and now, one week after starting a stimulant, he or she is screaming one moment, laughing the next and getting into fistfights at school. This would be strongly suggestive that the stimulant is to blame. If the stimulant were stopped and the child returned to normal, that would clinch the case.
Let's take a more complicated scenario. Suppose the child had been on a stimulant for five years and now, at age 13, was beginning to show mood swings and aggressive behavior. Let's say you stop the medication, but the emotional problems and aggression continue. What could account for this? Well, it is not a very good story for the stimulant being to blame.
But unfortunately, we know that the symptoms of ADHD look a lot like the symptoms of another very serious psychiatric problem: bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic depression. Figuring out whether it is a medication side effect or bipolar disorder is of immense importance, because although recent studies suggest that stimulants might benefit some bipolar patients, in general, patients with bipolar disorder need very different types of medications and psychosocial interventions than do kids with ADHD.
Finally, there are other reasons why children develop mood swings and aggression. Normal children can react this way to bad family situations or other very stressful situations. Children who are on a dangerous track toward adult criminal behavior also frequently show violent aggression and can have unpredictable moods.
You can see the complications. This why even a question as straightforward as yours has no easy answer. Every answer must be unique and is best arrived at in close consultation with an experienced and caring clinician.
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Tanni L. Anthony, Ed.S.
Colorado Department of Education,
201 E. Colfax, Denver, CO, 80203, USA
Over the past several decades, the profession of Orientation and Mobility (O&M) has revised its teaching strategies to focus upon the needs of young children. Within the past five to ten years, a particular emphasis has been placed on the early O&M skills specific to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are visually impaired.
With the inclusion of the birth through age five population, the field continues to refine both instructional philosophy and actual teaching techniques. Both have required careful steps; the process of merely "watering down" methodologies which are appropriate for older children has not always proven effective with very young children.
Research on the developmental route of the child with a sight loss has been helpful, but further research is still needed. Areas of specific challenge in each developmental domain have been documented. Based on this information, specific intervention methodologies have been devised, only to be revised with the contributions of new findings. It is fair to note that early intervention for children who are visually impaired is still within it's own toddlerhood of development.
A Proposed "Formula of Purposeful Movement"
Based on current research findings, it may be supposed that three primary areas emerge as important program domains within an early intervention O&M program. A "formula of purposeful movement" is offered for consideration which includes the following three components of program attention: physical readiness, cognitive connection, and motivation invitation.
Physical Readiness
Past research by Selma Fraiberg indicated that visual impairment did not have an effect on the order of gross motor milestone development. This may be changing, however, from the current longitudinal study in progress by Dr. Kay Ferrell and colleagues. Project PRISM (1994) is currently collecting information on the sequence of developmental milestones. Gross motor development maybe an area of noted unique skill acquisition order.
The rate of gross motor milestone development may be influenced by a visual impairment. There is evidence of delayed movement postures. This may be due in part to the possible presence of low postural tone, and the interdependent relationship of movement and the acquisition of true object permanence and/or auditory localization skills.
Physical readiness, however, far exceeds the mere acquisition of typical gross motor milestones of sitting, crawling, walking, and so on. It encompasses both quantity of skillacquisition and quality of movement. It is critical that motor milestones have qualitative excellence.
Quality of movement depicts the "underlying scaffolding" of both the static and dynamic postures of the child. It refers to the level of refinement of a particular gross motor skills. Without vision to confirm the infant's early body movements, the sense of proprioception may not develop to full maturity and low postural tone may be evident.
Brown and Bour (1986)report on one theory that the reason many babies who are visually impaired have low postural tone is because of a lack of experience in the prone position. Limited opportunities in this position ultimately deny the child the needed proprioceptive stimulation for neuro -motor development.
Low postural tone often will compromise the refinement integrity of motor skills involving balance and strength. Balance reactions, hunk rotations, and actual motor milestones may be influenced. For example, a child may be able to sit independently, but the actual sitting posture may be compromised. A rounded back with the legs situated far apart may be the only way the child can achieve independent sitting. Due to low trunk tone, the child may need to establish a wide base of support to maintain an upright sitting posture.
Compensatory patterns such as these may become habitual. If repeatedly used over time, the child is at risk for physiological change in her muscles; some may lengthen and some may shorten to accommodate for the compensatory posture. If left untreated, it is possible that an orthopedic deformity such as scoliosis may develop (Campbell, 1983).
It may be wise to consult with a physical and/or an occupational therapist to ensure that the child's motor skills are developing in a manner that reflects good quality of movement. Attention to positioning and special activities to strengthen the trunk muscles are two ways to address the influences of hypotonia. With consultation from a motor therapist, these activities can be easily incorporated into the child's daily care activities.
Cognitive Connection
Three stages in particular have great influence on the child's acquisition of early travel skills: (a) attainment of object permanence, (b) development of means-end, and (c) the early constructs of spatial relations. As each area is reviewed, it will become evident how one skill area is developmentally intertwined to other skill areas. It is impossible to fully isolate one from the other. For simplicity, however, they will be discussed as separate behaviors.
Object permanence in lay person's terms is simply "out of sight, "out of mind." During the first nine months of life, the infant does not have the memory capacity to search for an item completely removed from view, or in the case of a child with visual impairment, out of touch.
During this time period, however, the sighted infant demonstrates steady progress in the area of memory and search skills. At approximately four to six months of age, she will find an object that is touching her body (Johnson-Martin, Jens, and Attermeier, 1986). These authors further report that the sighted infant will briefly search for a newly dropped object and deliberately uncover a partially hidden object at six months of age.
By nine months, the infant learns that an object continues to exist even if it is covered from view. A favorite interaction game at this age is the classic Peek-a-boo.
Selma Fraiberg (1968) noted that sound is not a substitute for sight; between six and seven months of age, hearing and holding are two separate events for the child who is blind. Her research noted that the beginning of search behavior occurred between seven to nine months of age.
The child who is visually impaired may have a unique timetable as she acquires skills leading to object permanence and more sophisticated memory. Her individual level of functional vision will play an ongoing role in her ability to discern a world outside of immediate touch.
The ability to problem solve with an end result goal mind is called means-end. This indicates that a child is able to understand what means (actions) will result in a certain end (result). Over the course of the first two years, the child learns to construct a simple goal, then use the motor skills within her repertoire to achieve that end result.
The young infant, however, does not initially realize that her body movements knowing produce a certain sensory result. Body movements are not associated with reactions such as the visual movement of a swatted mobile or the chime bells of the kicked chime ball toy. During these early days, the infant is practicing newly acquired volitional movement as motor reflexes are fully integrated. Movement occurs for the sake of movement alone.
With repetition, however, the infant begins to discover that her body movements can make something happen. One of the first indications of intention occurs with deliberate hand watching behavior. With the discovery of her hands as a "working part" of her body, the four month old infant learns to reach for nearby objects.
Tactile cueing may be necessary to help initiate a reach of a desired object. As the child becomes more proficient with her understanding of a world beyond touch (expansion of object permanence), these touch cues will become less necessary.
Other means-end behaviors include early tool use. The child teams to pull a string to obtain the attached toy or use a stick to acquire a toy just out of reach. Clarke (1988) reports that tool use has great implications for a child's ability to successfully use a mobility device or long cane during the toddler and preschool years of development.
As the child expands her understanding of the space beyond her body and has the physical readiness to move out into space, the reach is extended from an isolated arm to a full body movement. This is the hallmark passage of purposeful movement; the child can begin to use self propelled ambulation for an end result. Her worldly travels have begun from a mobility perspective whether in the form of a roll from back to front or a long stretched reach while in a prone position that results in forward movement toward the object of interest.
Spatial relations development involves the concept formation of position, location, direction, and distance from one's own body (Morgan, 1992). Spatial constructs have three primary categories: (a) spatial awareness of one's body, (b) awareness both near and distance space as it relates to one's body, (c) awareness of the space dimensions between objects. All three of these areas have developmental beginnings in infancy.
Each area will be briefly discussed as to the associated developmental skills during the first two years of life.
The infant learns about her body as people touch and move her. Baby massage is an excellent means of proprioceptive input to the infant concerning the spatial dimensions of her body. Touching interaction games such as "I'm going to get you!" and a variety of body positions are also natural teaching methods of body image.
Dressing and undressing activities also play an important role in the internal mapping of the child's body. Dressing and bathing routines will further shape a child's labels of her body parts.
With maturation, the infant will master voluntary movements such as hand watching, midline hand play, and bringing her feet to her mouth. These movements give her even more information about the dimension and parts of her body as they are self regulated. As the infant reaches for her foot, she is participating in the discovery and confirmation of where her feet are located on her body.
Coinciding with spatial mapping of her body, the infant will begin to explore the immediate parameters of the world around her. Toys located on her body and next to her body will be the first ones explored. As she has repeated reinforcement for her random movements out into space, she will begin to actively search for "what is out there." Organized play areas with defined spatial boundaries and content will soon invite her visual and tactile search for people and toys.
Motivation Invitation
The human spirit needs both encouragement and reinforcement to work and to play. For the young child, it is important that the efforts associated with movement be met with inner delight of intrinsic reward.
A child who is engaged in the activity at hand, will be more willing to take a risk such as moving out into new space to continue an activity. In the beginning, it may be as simple as a slight weight shift from one side of the body to the next as a toy is offered in a slightly different location. Later, the child may independently navigate across an open space just to get a hug from her parent.
The goal is to determine what is motivating for the child. Two factors usually create a successful motivator; the child's cognitive development level and sensory preferences. It may be the thrill of reaching toward a colorful music toy for the infant with low vision or the satisfaction of walking across the room to the high chair for an afternoon snack for the toddler who is blind.
It is important for all children to be explorers of their world. The gift of self initiated quality movement in the early years is a priceless and lasting one. Early attention to the child's development from an OEM perspective can offer intervention at a critical time in the child's life.
Meeting the child at her developmental level will greatly assist 0&M practitioners when working with families and other team members. All three of the suggested components can be readily infused into the daily routine of the child. The result will hopefully be a supportive and involved family, a cohesive early intervention OEM program, and a child who moves out confidently and successfully into a world of new leamings.
Brown, C. and Bour, B. (1986) Movement Analysis Curriculum. Florida State Department of Education, Tallahassee, FL.
Campbell, P. H. (1983). Basic considerations in programming for students with movement difficulties. in M. Snell (Ed.) Systematic Instruction of the Moderately and Severely Handicapped (2nd ed.), Charles E. Merrill Publishing, New York, NY. .
Clarke, K. (1988) Barriers or enablers? mobility devices for visually impaired and multihandicapped infants and preschoolers. Education of the Visually Handicapped 2 0 (3), 115 -130.
Fraiberg, S. (1968). Parallel and divergent patterns in blind and sighted infants. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 23, pp. 264 - 300.
Johnson-Martin, N., Jens, K., and Attermeier, S. (1986). The Carolina Curriculum for Handicapped Infants and Infants at Risk. Paul Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD.
Morgan, B. (Ed.) (1992) Resource Manual for Early Intervention with Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers Who Are Visually Impaired and Their Families. SKI'HI Institute, Logan, UT.
Project PRISM (1994), an ongoing longitudinal study by Dr. Kay Ferrell and colleagues, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO.
This document is a Resource for the Expanded Core Curriculum. Please visit the .

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Among the clamor of some financial analysts for Sprint to get out of WiMAX to focus on short term strategies that would boost earnings, Sprint has issued statements that they remain strongly committed to deploying WiMAX. Many in the press and on Wall Street jumped to the conclusion that since Sprint has been beset with problems of customer attrition that has hit the top line sales and bottom line profit of the company, such that it would be quick to ax off long term development projects that some view as financially risky. We had thought that Sprint would deploy WiMAX long before their final decision to do so for a variety of reasons and that this would take a several year and billions of dollars commitment before it might fully satisfy the investment community. New generations of wireless, particularly when the object is to gain first mover advantage, are a long questioned endeavor until results are blatantly obvious. Wall Street analysts will have to learn to get over it because what Sprint is about is game changing and will set them on the course that will be played out over the next ten to 15 years as WiMAX evolves into 4G.
What Clearwire Means to WiMAX and Sprint
Clearwire is not a WiMAX service company at this time. But Clearwire does represent a directly significant development that indicates a major factor in WiMAX' success, namely the aggregation of diverse spectrum licenses into large coverage area networks. But that can be viewed as "McCaw doing what McCaw does". In other words, Craig McCaw's historically repeated strategy has been to buy up rights to small-mid sized wireless spectrum license holders and knit them together into a wide service area served by whatever technology made sense at the time. Right now they are using NextNet/Motorola Expedience because it was available ahead of WiMAX. But Expedience is not WiMAX and it is not WiMAX upgradeable. Clearwire can transition the NN network over a period of 2-3 years to WiMAX by providing users with Motorola NextNet+WiMAX multi-mode devices that are said to now be available. This amounts to a way that Clearwire has gained early subscribers but will take an expensive replacement of existing base stations and a period of simultaneous patch-work network operation before a full transition is accomplished.
McCaw's longer range plan (3-6 years) is to continue to aggregate spectrum, show that CW can make rend to profitability, and at an opportune point when WiMAX NGMN have developed a strong business case, sell Clearwire based significantly on appreciation of their relatively cheaply obtained spectrum. The acquisition will likely be by a large incumbent operator for several billions more than investors have paid into the company.
This continuation of a decades running 'McCaw story' is important to WiMAX because it helps set the stage for a world-wide trend in roll-up and roaming and service agreements across multiple frequency bands and multiple smaller spectrum license holders. To some extent, it does not matter is Clearwire ever shifts to WiMAX as long as they are a success in making a roll up of spectrum work for wireless broadband. There is no question that more services and more customers can be served with a WiMAX network, so a proof of principle with NN will be much more compelling with WiMAX. One of the more difficult business cases for WiMAX is as DSL/cable replacement in mature markets. What McCaw is proving is "If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere": doing aggregation of spectrum and proving that the business plan can succeed in developed markets based on minimal network capability and available devices proves that the success of more advanced networks is certain.
Any aggregator in developed markets faces competition from 3G, cable and/or DSL and independent or other national/regional WBB service providers. This may further stimulate NextWave and others to pursue their spectrum integration efforts and bid on new spectrum auctions. And small spectrum holders, of which there are several hundred around the world, may be encouraged to develop more aggressive plans which to get funding, build networks, join roaming and service alliances and do their own roll-up acquisitions of other spectrum holders.
Where Do Sprint & Clearwire Go from Here?
Sprint has not needed Clearwire nearly as much as Clearwire could benefit from Sprint. Sprint has 90 MHz of nationwide 2.5 GHz spectrum including 90%+ of metropolitan areas. And the company has forged content and service alliances that are more easily assembled by a company of their size and which has synergistic 3G network deployments.
Sprint has not left the party entirely: Sprint Nextel president of strategic planning Keith Cowan said, "We look forward to working with Clearwire on opportunities such as roaming and standards."
Sprint is rolling out WiMAX and will provide advanced services over the next 2 years. That network will have a much different appeal to customers than Clearwire's NextNet based services: it will have over 50 fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile devices available in 2008 including, by the end of the year, embedded laptops and ultra-portables. That will give Sprint the clear market advantage over their rivals but also opens the door wider for Clearwire to step into when it looks convenient. Do not expect Sprint to so willingly help their fellow competition unless they are equally willing to pay the cost of doing the trail-blazing work along side them.
Sprint is not a similar spectrum roll-up strategy as Clearwire. Their success would set the agenda for a new generation of wireless competition among incumbent operators and not so much set the expectations for doing spectrum roll-ups and proving the alternative network service provider growth strategy. The large spectrum holder proposition cannot be similarly duplicated around the world in a granular fashion. The Clearwire example could become a major trend for hundreds to thousands of small independents being amalgamated through acquisitions or forging larger coverage areas through agreement to provide common sets of services with attractively priced and easy to use roaming. A major cause for moving to WiMAX and all IP environments is to enable more ubiquitous roaming and always connected services including attractive location and rich media content. This does not depend on Clearwire but their example is important for WiMAX by just showing that the spectrum can be turned into a profitable business plan in itself that others then follow with more capable WiMAX enabled services.
Maravedis is aware of hundreds of operators around he world which we tract in WiMAXCoutns.com database and analyze regularly in our reports. Are others preparing to follow Clearwire and Sprint's lead? In a word, yes. Several spectrum holders, aggregators and operators are watching, planning and starting to deploy.


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Or maybe it's a game within a movie? Or maybe it's just a movie—enough! Okay, .hack, the video game within a video game video game, is getting a movie version.
.hack debuted as a video game with 2002's .hack//Infection, and are part of a multimedia franchise that encompasses television anime, manga, and even music. The .hack games are developed by CyberConnect2, which is currently working on Asura's Wrath for Capcom.
The movie is CG and 3D and, as you can see from the trailer, it's more story within a story from .hack. It hits Japanese theaters January 2012.
.hack//TheMovie [Official Site]
You can contact Brian Ashcraft, the author of this post, at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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The tough, all-purpose utility cover. 4.5 oz polyethylene construction for toughness, tear-resistance, and dependability. Brass plated steel grommets every 3' with rope sewn into hem. Heavy 9-10 mil thickness. Used for truck or ground cover, storage and weather protection. Forest green in color.The measurements listed are cut sizes. The finished sizes of these tarps are 3 to 5% smaller than the listed sizes.
Q. What does 10x10 polyethylene construction mean? A. It's the number of reinforcement threads run in both the horizontal and vertical directions per square inch.
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"Greed is Good", American Landscape, B.J. Novak, Big M Burgers, Big Mac, biography, Biopic, Capitalism, Dick McDonald, Fast Food, Fastfood Nation, Film, film review, Gordon Gecko, Hamburger, history, Ice Cream that ISN'T Ice Cream, Jim Gaffigan McDonalds, John Carroll Lynch, John Lee Hancock, Laura Dern, Linda Cardellini, Mac McDonald, McDonalds, McDonalds Brothers, Michael Keaton, Mr. Universe, Nick Offerman, Ray Kroc, Supersize Me, The Founder, There Will Be Blood, WallStreet
The Founder isn't Supersize Me or Fast Food Nation because by the end of the film my heart went out to McDonalds, or really the two men who founded McDonalds and lost everything to one man's greed and personal failings. This didn't stop me however from going out to McDonalds the very next day to buy myself a big mac so I guess in a way the film succeeded and failed simultaneously.
Then again it's hard to say no to a man like Ray Kroc who opens the film with a pitch, one the viewer is expected to hear again before the end of the film:
[first lines
Ray Kroc: I know what you're thinkin'… What the heck do I need a 5-spindle for… when I barely sell enough milkshakes to justify my single-spindle. Right? Wrong. Are you familiar with the notion of the chicken or the egg Mr. Griffith, I mentioned… that there'd be costs. Well, I think it applies here. Do you not need the multimixer because, well heck, you're not selling enough milkshakes. Or are you not selling enough milkshakes because you don't have a multimixer? I firmly believe it's the latter. Because your customer comes in here and he knows if he orders a shake from your establishment… that well, he's in for a terrific wait. He's done it before and he thinks to himself, well by golly, I'm not gonna make that mistake again. But if ya had the Prince Castle, 5-spindle, multimixer… with patented direct-drive electric motor we'd greatly increase your ability to produce… delicious, frosty milkshakes, FAST. Mark my words. Dollars to donuts, you'll be sellin' more of those sons of bitches…then you can shake a stick at. You increase the supply, and the demand will follow… Increase supply, demand follows. Chicken, egg. Do you follow my logic?I know you do because you're a bright, forward thinking guy who… knows a good idea when he hears one. So… What do you say
The answer to this long pitch is an immediate no, but hopefully the viewer, by the time Michael Keaton is done delivering this opening soliloquy, will say yes and then immediately ask themselves the same question I was asking throughout The Founder: Where the hell has Michael Keaton been for the last decade and why is he only just coming back?
I checked The Founder out more out of impulse than legitimate curiosity. I've mentioned repeatedly that I work at a library, so much so that my regular reader has probably learned to skip these opening intros because they realize they're usually now just I found DVD or Book X at the library. But in all seriousness though the fun part of my job is the day to day discovery of a book or film that I didn't know I had access to. Now because it's summer and families have more vacation time due to summer vacation I tend to have to leave my job at the desk and help the staff of circulation because their DVD rack gets filled at least three times a day. That isn't hyperbole it literally fills up with DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks every day at least three times a day and of course every tenth DVD is missing from the case. While the Circ staff checks out patron's items I'll usually go over and check items in and one day a week or so back The Founder crossed my path. I'd seen previews for it on YouTube, and maybe it was those original previews, or perhaps the dynamic cover of Michael Keaton standing between those golden arches, or maybe it was my desire to start watching more films, but whatever the case I placed a hold on the DVD and as soon as it came in I watched it and was left amazed and left with a real sense of injustice.
The Founder is a biopic about Ray Kroc, a traveling milkshake-maker salesman who wants, to quote Belle from Beauty and the Beast, more than his provincial life. Ray is looking for something that will lift him into something larger than himself. While on his cross-country trip he discovers a restaurant called McDonalds run by two brothers who have started up a burger joint using something called Speedee system in which people are able to purchase burgers, fries, and a milkshake and get it the moment they place an order. Ray listens to the brothers tell their story, and after trying to return to his original life he decides he has to help the brother franchise their business. They resist but ray persists until they draw up a contract with him and he begins establishing McDonalds's across the United States until he eventually becomes the de facto CEO of the company. The McDonalds brothers are eventually forced out of the company and Ray becomes the "founder" of the company running the brothers out of their business and leaving them little if any financial compensation.
The plot synopsis should hopefully explain why, at the end of the film, I was left with a real feeling of injustice. Michael Keaton shines as Ray Kroc, and his performance as this character has already garnered some critical observations that, apart from being screwed out of an Oscar nomination, he has established the Ray Kroc character into an icon of corporate corruption. Much like Gordon Gekko in WallStreet, Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood, or Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Ray Kroc is a man who rises to power not because he has any kind of special individual talent, but because he has more or less risen to power off of the sweat, labor, and inspiration of other people.
Ray isn't even too proud to admit that's more or less exactly what he did. In one of the closing scenes between Ray and Dick McDonald (played by the beardless but ever stern and uber-masculine Nick Offerman) he offers Dick his observation of why he ultimately took the company from them.
Dick McDonald: I just have to ask you one thing. Something I've never understood.
Ray Kroc: Alright.
Dick McDonald: That day we met, when we gave you the tour…
Ray Kroc: Uh huh. What about it?
Dick McDonald: We showed you everything. The whole system, all of our secrets. We were an open book. So why didn't you just…
Ray Kroc: Steal it? Just, grab your ideas and run off, start my own business… using all those ideas of yours. It would have failed.
Dick McDonald: How do you know?
Ray Kroc: Am I the only one who got the kitchen tour? You must have invited lots of people back there, huh?
Dick McDonald: And?
Ray Kroc: How many of them succeeded?
Dick McDonald: Lots of people started restaurants.
Ray Kroc: As big as McDonald's?
Dick McDonald: Of course not.
Ray Kroc: No one ever has and no one ever will because they all lacked that one thing… that makes McDonald's special.
Dick McDonald: Which is?
Ray Kroc: Even you don't know what it is.
Dick McDonald: Enlighten me.
Ray Kroc: It's not just the system, Dick. It's the name. That glorious name, McDonald's. It could be, anything you want it to be… it's limitless, it's wide open… it sounds, uh… it sounds like… it sounds like America. That's compared to Kroc. What a crock. What a load of crock. Would you eat at a place named Kroc's? Kroc's has that blunt, Slavic sound. Kroc's. But McDonald's, oh boy. That's a beauty. A guy named McDonald? He's never gonna get pushed around in life.
Dick McDonald: That's clearly not the case.
Ray Kroc: So, you don't have a check for 1.35 million dollars in your pocket? Bye Dick.
Dick McDonald: So if you can't beat'em, buy'em.
Ray Kroc: I remember the first time I saw that name stretched across your stand out there. It was love at first sight. I knew right then and there… I had to have it. And now I do.
Dick McDonald: You don't have it.
Ray Kroc: You sure about that? Bye Dick.
I'll admit freely that I was just about screaming at my television set during this scene. I'm sure at this point in our marriage my wife is used to me talking during the movie, either my comments made towards characters or else just my examinations of the various shots and camera angles made by clever directors, still I should shut up more and just enjoy the movie. Apart from my rage at the character of Ray Kroc however was just a general sensation of being constantly amazed at all the excellent little details of the film. The Founder is a gorgeous movie for the way it presents the time period, the characters, the costumes, the landscapes, and if it hasn't been addressed already virtually every actor in The Founder manages to give a career-defining performance. If it isn't Keaton slinging his Midwest accent and giving us a man who's constantly hungry for more it's Nick Offerman winning every scene he's in, and even John Carol Lynch who manages to be the most pitifully delightful human being in a movie since I can't even remember.
But I want to return to an earlier point made which was that The Founder is yet another in a long line of American films which examines corporate greed and how ultimately kind people are screwed by the frenetic individuals who aren't satisfied to break even. Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc as a constantly moving man who isn't satisfied to stand still in one place or space, he is constantly speaking about expansion and the possibility that is McDonalds. During one passage of the film the reader is able to watch Ray give more-or-less the same speech to a room full of Shriners, jewish council members, board-room executives, and casual people in a school gym and Ray's dedication to expansion is presented in his rhetoric.
Ray Kroc: I'm looking for a few good men… and women. Who aren't afraid of hard work. Aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves. I'm looking for scrappers, hustlers, guys that are willing to roll up their sleeves. They're livin' on drive, they got a little fire in their belly. I stand right here before you today, I'm gonna offer you something as precious as gold. And you know what that is? Anybody? Anybody? Opportunity. It's opportunity. Opportunity. Opportunity to advance, to move forward, to move up, to advance… To succeed. To win. To step up. The sky's the limit. The sky is the limit. Grab the brass ring. To give yourself a shot at the American dream. Put your arms around the American dream. Opportunity. Cause I'll tell ya somethin… At McDonald's? It's like this great nation of ours… Some of that elbow grease. I guarantee ya, if you got the guts… the gumption, the desire… I guarantee ya you can succeed. There's gold to be had. At the end of… those Golden Arches… Golden Arches. Golden Arches. Now who's with me? Who wants to jump on that ladder to success? Be part of the McDonald's "mishpokhe". Now who's with me? Come on, lemme see some hands.
One of the greatest criticisms of The Founder is that is tries to tell the same story that There Will be Blood or Wall Street did only with less character development. Most of the reviews of this film have complained that Michael Keaton's performance is one long series of fast-paced speeches, and the New York Times in their review more or less compared him to the Road-Runner. Obviously I have nowhere near the ethos that the New York Times has in terms of film criticism, but I would like to think that I have an ethos when it comes to Loony Tunes and I didn't see Michael Keaton go "beep-beep" once in this movie. Keaton plays Kroc as a man who is never satisfied. Kroc is always moving from one scheme to the next because he's always seeing or looking for something bigger than himself and so it makes sense why he eventually has philosophic differences with the McDonalds brothers. It makes sense why he leaves his wife who is always wanting him to just settle down and be happy with what he has. It's easy to look at Keaton's performance of Kroc and think that he's playing him up as a kind of cartoony Gordon Gecko on speed, but if the reader really listens and pays attention to Kroc hopefully they'll see that the reason there isn't too much introspection of Kroc's character is because the man isn't the contemplative kind. He isn't deep and he isn't truly original.
Ray Kroc is a persistent man. That is his defining quality, and in this trait he is successful.
In one of the closing scenes Ray is preparing a speech for a dinner he's going to have with then governor of California Ronald Reagan, and speaking once again to the camera Keaton manages to once again win his viewer, not because he's a decent man, but because his conviction is real.
Ray Kroc: Now, I know what you're thinkin'. How the hell does a 52-year-old, over-the-hill milkshake machine salesman… build a fast-food empire with 16,000 restaurants, in 50 states, in 5 foreign countries… with an annual revenue of in the neighborhood of $700,000,000.00… One word… PERSISTENCE. Nothing in this world can take the place of good old persistence. Talent won't. Nothing's more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius won't. Unrecognized genius is practically a cliché. Education won't. Why the world is full of educated fools. Persistence and determination alone are all powerful.
The Founder as a film may be an opportunity to explore the downsides of capitalism and remind the viewer that there are always going to be sleazebags like Kroc who will steal someone else's vision and manage to get away with it, but my final impression of the film is something entirely different. Regardless of the man's personal character, and regardless of the fact that I would always end the film calling Kroc a contemptable prick, McDonalds as an idea does speak to something of the American vision. I wish I could find the quote specifically, but when Kroc sells his idea of the franchises to the McDonalds brother he compares the golden arches to the cross and the flag, the idea being that McDonalds can be a place where American people, break bread, find bodily sustenance, and share ideas. This seems like a ridiculous notion, until I remember my own upbringing.
I was a spoiled child, and as a kid I would often complain about food made at home. I complained because I wanted to go to McDonalds. I loved the playground, I loved the cheeseburgers, I loved the fries, and I loved meeting other kids and playing with them and making new memories. Kroc may have been a contemptable prick, but he was onto something when he realized that if you sell a company, not just as a burger joint, but as a space where people can find something, something like family, the American people would buy it and buy into it.
I went out and bought a big mac with fries the day after watching the movie, and in the store I saw a man writing on his laptop, a family eating and talking and laughing, and two friends eating cheeseburgers and laughing. McDonalds is still an American icon, and still an idea that people are buying.
Unlike a movie like Wall Street, where corporate executives dressed in ties and suspenders read The Art of War and buy up abstract stocks, The Founder digs into the meat and bone of the American landscape and the desire of those living within to be successful, not just at a local level but something more. The film is a chance to try and understand why Americans are so driven to push and drive into new territories and make something in that new space, or, at the very least, why they're trying to make something new where you can buy a cheeseburger for under fifteen cents.
*Writer's Note*
All quotes from The Founder were provided by IMBD.
**Writer's Note**
While I ultimately disagree with their final summation of the film, I have included the New York Times review of The Founder here if the reader is interested in a second opinion. Enjoy:
***Writer's Note***
There are many, many opinions about McDonalds, some fair, some unfair, some that are about lizards who dance the polka and buy Weird Al albums, but perhaps the best opinion I've heard expressed is the one by Jim Gaffigan in his Mr. Universe Special. It's become something of a private joke between my friend Kevin and I, and I include it here in honor of our friendship. Love you bro.


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Earlier this month, human Pez dispenser Perez Hilton leaked some shaky camera phone footage of the first trailer for the highly anticipated film adaptation of the musical Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. But, as tends be the case with crappy leaked footage, it did not satisfy us. But the official trailer has now arrived giving us a much clearer insight as to what the movie will be like without having to visit Perez's website (though be warned: I, too, understand the value of drawing a dick on someone's face with MS Paint). And, hey, it looks awesome. Lovely ladies, Convict 24601, revolutionaries, a fugitive running (fallen from God, FALLLEEENNN FROM GRAAACE), etc., etc.
The ripped version of the trailer left us with some concern as to whether or not Anne Hathaway had the pipes to play Fantine, but this is...better, right? Right? I'm a terrible judge — I blacked out from excitement midway through the preview. All I know is that I came to behind a barricade made from my own furniture and a look at my YouTube history reveals that I watched "The Confrontation" 127 times. Please send help.


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What separates your average website developer from the really exceptional ones you ask? Response, response, response! In real estate it's locate. In website development, it's response. The technical know-how, skills, and latest technology is pretty much expected. Customer service in terms of response and timeliness is the real separator and the key to a highly effective website. FreshySites is the real deal. We had two previous website developers before we heard about and tag FreshySites to conceive, build, and execute all functions of our website. They'll be around with us for a long time to come.
The Leader in Website Design for Oak Grove, Missouri


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These Women Go Ratchet: Crazy Car Smash During Fight With TV, Broom Sticks, Chairs, Bricks & More!!
Fast forward to 2:50 mark
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"Grade A" lithium cells are all we use in our laptop batteries and, not surprisingly, it's is all the original manufacturing brands put in their battery packs. Since the battery cells are the most important part of the battery pack, never settle for a cheap imitation product.


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In case you missed it.
I missed the last Bike shorts, Ken Stanek's ongoing short film festival in Brooklyn. Even though there were two opportunities to see the movies, due to a rain date. RATS.
There was a lot of buzz about the winning film, Rachel Brown's short about bike lanes.
It doesn't take […]


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Mützen / Caps
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Practice makes perfect, and on December 4, 2013 thirty students from Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) practiced their poster presentation skills in the college's second annual Undergraduate Poster Exhibition.
Original posters on topics ranging from tracking wildfires in the western US to exploring the material science behind bridge failures were displayed throughout the ground floor of the Deike Building. Students gave short presentations about their original posters to faculty and staff judges, who scored the posters in three categories: display, content, and oral presentation.
"You can't beat this opportunity for undergraduates," said Dr. Joe Bishop, a researcher in the Department of Geography and a poster judge. Many students seized the opportunity to use the Exhibition to practice for upcoming conferences in their fields.
Senior Rachel Passmore (geography) will be presenting this spring at the Association of American Geographers annual meeting. Her poster idea began during a year-long research project on food accessibility in Japan. Passmore worked closely with a faculty mentor to develop her ideas and convey them in a visually appealing way.
"I wanted a chance to talk about my experience," said Passmore, "and I also thought this was a really good way to practice my presentation skills."
Passmore learned that unique, eye-catching design is the key to capturing an audience's attention. She also said this experience helped her learn to be more concise in her communications.
Cash prizes were an additional incentive to participate: $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for second place. Seniors Kyle Haab (energy engineering) and Jonathan Graterol (energy engineering) won first place with a poster about reducing energy use while improving safety in the Fraser Street garage. Second place went to senior Kehao Zhang (materials science and engineering) who presented a poster explaining an innovative way to use tungsten in specialized films. Sophomore Emily Fucinato (materials science and engineering) placed third, with a materials science poster about reducing the cost of solar cells.
For most students, it isn't all about the prize money. Instead it's about the experience of interacting with peers and faculty, and having a chance to share exciting research that is the product of hard work. It's also about graduate school. Second place winner Zhang entered to gain confidence for research presentations during graduate school interviews.
"When I was talking with the judges, they gave me the confidence to keep talking, and they gave me very good feedback," said Zhang. "It was a great opportunity for the students to talk with faculty."
While the upper-classmen presented work from senior theses and internships, freshman presenters got creative with topics. John Swab, a freshman in Geography, won the Freshman Award for a poster about streetcar and suburb development in Baltimore.
To round out the event, EMS students had an opportunity to vote and select the Student Choice award, which went to junior Bonhui Lu (energy business and finance) for her poster titled "China Shale Gas Industry and Economic Development." Attendees cast their votes with donations for their favorite poster, and all funds were donated to student-related charities such as Relay For Life.
"I have good friends," said Lu with a smile. "I knew it was for a good cause, and I told them to come down and vote for me—and they did!"
~Kimberly Del Bright & Ellen Chamberlin


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Document Type
- Conference Proceeding (2) (remove)
- Ashur Ada (1)
- Ashuradeh (1)
- Caspian Sea (1)
- Miankaleh peninsula (1)
- New Towns (1)
- New urban Settlements (1)
- ecological context (1)
- Ашур-Ада (1)
In the Iranian public media, it was widely reported that by the end of 2004, 380 hectares of the eastern farthest end of the Peninsula Mianqala (northern part of Iran, located in the southeastern coasts of Caspian Sea) were sold to an organisation – the result is that "Asurada" Island will be turned into a so-called "Tourist Village". The decision has been made and civil works are to begin. The village planned as a new settlement is specifically considered to work with Mianqala, which since June 1976 is an international biosphere reserve and since 1969, an Iranian nature protected area. Considering the special condition of the region as a biosphere reserve, this paper introduces the current situation of the Island Āŝūrāda and the suggested program by the aforementioned organisation. Subsequently, it tries to find an optimal answer to the question of whether "Āŝūrāda" is appropriate for such a purpose and how far it is allowed to be interfered with, through this new settlement. The paper asserts for this development, there is consideration of the settlement's urban and architectural concept; subsequently analysis is conducted for the spatial development of the settlement, in terms of its influences on the ecological sources, the rural structure and the financial as well as social aspects. Such study is required, particularly due to the chain of tourist influences, which certainly will introduce a new pattern of urban character in terms of quality and quantity. Finally, with the assistance of the case presented, this paper poses the question of whether a new urban pattern like this can endanger a traditional and above all a nature protected context or not.
This Essay considers the motives and the formation of European New Towns, in particular German ones. For this reason it studies basically the development of German New towns, further defines the German classification of this urban term. This essay suggests additionally for this sense a kind of classification in Germany – considering to periodical as well as formal progress of German New towns. All suggested classes are specifically and individually recognized and introduced, for each one is also given specific examples. Each case is furthermore introduced and it's motive of formation and development are considered as well, e.g. cities like Ludwigshafen, Hellerau, Wolfsburg, Wulfen. Regarding to the development of German New Towns and up to the given facts in the essay, the current and the expected situation of German New towns are finally considered, also the sense of German experiences for Iranian New towns, and it's possible significance for them.


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Mr. Speaker, vis-à-vis softwood lumber the United States can take any approach it wants but it will not change the process of the government or the policy of the government to proceed on two tracks.
Discussions with the United States apparently finally are going to be more serious starting tomorrow.
Also, we will continue to pursue our legal options at the WTO. If necessary we will go right to the end of that process and win once again.


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"The female members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) involved are entitled by their contract of service to full maternity benefits," South African National Defence Union (Sandu) spokesperson Pikkie Greeff said. "This makes the conduct of the commanding officer concerned all the more ludicrous and obscene."
In a letter written to Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Tuesday, the union called on her to suspend the commanding officer, failing which it would help the women approach the Equality Court.
SANDF spokesperson Xolani Mabanga said he was not aware of the letter. On Monday the officer called in at least seven women instructors at the base and reprimanded them "heavily" for falling pregnant, Sandu wrote in the letter.
The women were told they were a disgrace to the defence force and would be transferred to other units as they were "unwelcome" at the base. "The officer also told them that he would personally apologise to the new recruits for the 'poor quality of instructors' who fall pregnant," the union wrote.
A pregnant trainee at the base committed suicide allegedly as a result of the treatment, the union claimed. Mabanga said Sandu was aware of rules and regulations governing the behaviour of defence force members.
"Most of those in charge at Sandu were once members of the defence force and are fully aware of the rules regarding the conduct of officers as per the Defence Act." He said the union had a personal agenda against the Oudtshoorn base and its commanding officer.
"There are females in many other bases who fall pregnant. Why are they concerned about Oudtshoorn only?" Mabanga asked.
He said the union was fully aware why the woman trainee committed suicide at the base. "I do not want to discuss the suicide out of respect for the woman's family … she left a suicide note, the contents of which the union is fully aware [of]." – Sapa


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Inspiration Monday: Annette Joseph
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I am so excited that photo stylist Annette Joseph will be giving a talk this Friday at Lavish! It gave me a kick in the pants to go take a look at her portfolio. Here are a few favorites (it's hard to choose). You may check out much more of her work here.
photo from Renovation Style
photo from Better Homes and Gardens
photo from Decorating
photo from Country Home. Guinea Hen painting by John "Cornbread" Anderson
photo from Atlanta Magazines Home
photo from Decorating
Getting a good interior shot is so hard, and Annette's styling makes it look easy. I'm still at phase one, where I try to get ugly cords out of the way! Her work inspires lovely tables and tablescapes, perfect furniture arrangement, and looking lived in without looking messy. I'll follow up after I see her speak to share what else I learn from her.
All images from ajphotostylist.com


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It was noted on the blog that the Belkin TuneTalk Stereo works with an iPhone 3GS running OS 3.0.1. Is it known to work under OS 3.1.2?
I'm considering trying a TuneTalk with SignalScope Pro, but would like some assurance that it will work before I purchase it.


text: Farrell's is What a Gym Should Be 09/01/2016 Blog category: Testimonials I will start out by saying that writing this definitely took me out of my comfort zone as I don't really like putting my life story out there for others to read. However, the past year or so has been a great experience and I have Farrell's to thank for it . . . so here it goes. My wife and I had tried a number of different gyms but never really "joined" any of them. They ranged from the stereotypical "weight lifting gyms" to the "show up at any time gym" but nothing worked. Neither of us really felt that connection with any of them to keep us motivated and engaged. I guess that was, and probably still is, a problem that I have; for some reason I need to feel like I'm part of something. That is when we joined Farrell's and started to have that feeling. To give you some perspective of where I started, I had reached a new high for weight, which was 320 lbs. before I signed up. Not really a milestone I had in mind but that's where I found myself. I have been able to get down to 270 lbs. since we started on October 11, 2015. On top of the weight loss, I've been able to lose a total of 39.25 inches.* I started to have more energy for things like running, biking and just playing around with our kids. My wife, Terri, has a similar story with the success that she's had in this journey and has been a very integral part of my success. This whole journey started the day I took my 8-year-old son to the 2015 Blue Heron Days Lino Lakes parade and ended up going into the park where there were a number of vendors. As we were walking around, I saw a booth for Farrell's, and at this time, I didn't really know anything about them. There had to be 6-7 people behind the booth, all in their Farrell's apparel. As I'm trying to take in all the information they were giving me, the main voice I heard was my 8-year-old son. He said if they let me take home the boxing gloves, I should join. That was the clincher; I added my name to the list. I went home that day feeling pretty good about myself, but also a little nervous that I was really going to go through with it. I told Terri I was joining the new Farrell's gym that was being built and she immediately asked if I signed her up . . . I hadn't. After the scolding I received for not signing her up, I called the Farrell's number and made sure Terri was also signed up. I'm told I was the first person to actually sign up at the Lino Lakes location, which still makes me feel pretty good. It's funny how I could feel so intimidated by this group of people and a year later, feel so comfortable around them. It just shows how great the ownership group is at the Lino Lakes Farrell's. We didn't win the 10-week challenge, but both of us have learned so much about ourselves and each other. I am so happy I've been able to share this journey with Terri. We get up five days a week at 4:30am to work out at 5:00am. Saturday's we get to sleep in until 6:30am as our FIT class doesn't start until 7:00am. My wife is the one that does not believe in taking a day off, she pushes me every morning to get to the gym. Even when I am not able to attend, she is going by herself; she is definitely an inspiration to me as we are both continuing down this path. Fast forward to almost a year later and we are both still at it. Whether it's walking, running or biking we are getting outside a lot more. Although I still do not consider myself to be poster board material for a gym like Farrell's, my wife and I have found a place that accepts us for who we are, knows that we show up to work hard and provides us the support we need to keep the journey going. To me that is what a gym should be. In the end, that's all we needed, someone to share our journey with, someone we can call family. Dean K. is a FIT member at our Lino Lakes, MN Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping location. Back to Blog


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ATLANTA (AP) — Forecasters say severe storms are possible across much of Georgia in the coming week, bringing the possibility of tornadoes to the state.
The National Weather Service says the main concerns about the storms will be damaging winds, heavy rain and frequent lightning. Forecasters say a few twisters are also possible.
The strongest storms are expected to arrive in Georgia sometime on Wednesday.
Warm air is expected ahead of the storms; Tuesday's high temperature in Atlanta is expected to be around 70 degrees.


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Member Since:
Apr 07, 2010
Goal Type:
Running Accomplishments:
5K - 17:11 (Cougar Run)
10K - 34:35 (Deseret News)
15K - 57:33 (Utah Running Club)
1/2 - 1:22:26 (Mountain View Trail)
50K - 4:22:31 (Sapper Joe)
Short-Term Running Goals:
Sub-2:45 at Saint George Marathon
Win the Antelope Island half marathon
Long-Term Running Goals:
I'd like to run the Angeles Crest 100 at some point. And I'd still like to go sub-4 at a trail 50k. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions.

I was a competitive cyclist for years. In 2009, after racing in the Tour of Utah, I decided I had plateaued as a cyclist--I could continue to improve, but I wouldn't break through to a new level. So, I started looking for a new challenge.
I thought that challenge would be mountain biking, but I'm a terrible bike handler. I married Catherine in January 2010 and a couple of weeks later I entered the SLTC Winter Training Series with her. A couple of weeks after that I decided I'd like to run ultras, so I signed up for a couple of 50Ks to get started.
Those first races came and went, with varying results. I was looking forward to running more and possibly pushing into the longer distances, but I injured my knee in June 2010 and I've never been consistently healthy since.
I started law school in August 2010, which meant less time for training. In June 2011, Baby Elliott was born, which meant even less time for training. But she's worth it.
Baby Nora joined us in October 2013, with the same effect on training as Elliott (who, incidentally, is no longer a baby).
I (finally) finished school in April 2014 and now I'm an evil corporate lawyer in Salt Lake. I have no illusions that I'll ever get back into the shape that I once was, but I'm perfectly at peace with that. I still have many goals to accomplish and many years in which to do it.
AM: Another easy run around the Towne Centre, with a couple of pick-ups to keep things interesting.
PM: I was going to run up Rock Canyon to the campground, but I ended up running to the Squaw Peak summit instead. It's a very cool trail to a very cool summit, and I didn't even realize it was there (the trail, that is). About 3,000 feet of vertical, according to the world wide internets.


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I hope I dont get caught..
|AnimeGalleries [dot] Net
|AnimeWallpapers [dot] Com
|AnimeLyrics [dot] Com
|AnimePedia [dot] Com
|AnimeGlobe [dot] Com
I hope I dont get caught..
Oy! Git in school!
Get to class you!
[jk, welcome to the class skipping club]
You're a bad girl, Grell. : (
Hmmm... Been a while
Get back to work you slacking slacker of Slacktown! Not that I don't slack...
You're not fooling anyone except yourself. Students who attend and cares for their studies will benefit anyway. Don't be surprised when your teacher fails you.
I'm too scared to ditch anything that takes attendence though I'm not against arriving late (really late, when the class is halfway done so it doesn't count as a ditch) or ditching assemblies.
人類は調和したのか?VY2V3 = Me | Kagamine Len Act 1 = You
Hey look, Japan made a movie about me!
I hope for you that your day was filled with useless classes. Or classes you're good at -__-
I only skipped 2nd period which was English, I was already 20 minutes late to that class, so i decided to take the other 21 minutes off
Skipping isn't really that big of a deal unless your absences accumulate to the point where it interferes with the part of your grade based on participation. o_o So long as you keep a decent grade, it doesn't do that much harm, specially if it's just one day.
I skip most of my calc II classes. On the other hand, I'm always on time and ready for my organic chem class. Basically, if it's a class I need to take just because it's a "requirement," there's a good chance I'll max out my absences. If it's a class actually relevant to my major, I don't even consider skipping. Anyway, skipping a class every know and again is better than getting burnt out. But don't skip too many or it'll come back to haunt you. Probably.
Last edited by bug; 10-12-2012 at 10:39 PM.
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Three-time Emmy Award nominee Christina Hendricks plays the lead role of Billy.
Creative Commons
Marc Platt Productions and Phantasma Films in association with Bold Films are in pre-production on the feature film "How To Catch a Monster" written and directed by Ryan Gosling. The casting director is conducting and online open casting call searching for starring and co-starring roles in the film. Shooting will take place in the Detroit, Michigan area beginning in May, 2013. They are currently looking for a boy who looks between 3-6 years of age and a male who is over 18 and appears to be between 17-19 years of age. Additional roles will be cast through open casting calls.
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Prosecuting the victim, absolving the perpetratorsJuly 18, 2011
By David Goldberg
Updated 7/19: The charge has been corrected. Nelson was charged with vehicular homicide.
This is an advocacy blog, but typically we're rather measured in our tone. Sometimes, however, we see something so utterly outrageous, so emblematic of the failure of our current transportation system, that "measured" just won't cut it.
The prosecution and conviction this week of Raquel Nelson – a metro Atlanta mother who lost her four-year-old son to a hit-and-run driver – on the charge of vehicular homicide is one of those times.
You heard that right: According to the office of Cobb County prosecutor Barry Morgan, Nelson – who had no car at the time – committed vehicular homicide by attempting to cross a five-lane highway with her three kids to get to her apartment, after being let off the bus.
This photo shows the bus stops (located on both sides) of Austell Road, and the path taken by Raquel Nelson across Austell Road to get from the bus stop to her apartment complex across the street. No marked crossings are visible in the photo.
Nelson, 30 and African-American, was convicted on the charge this week by six jurors who were not her peers: All were middle-class whites, and none had ever taken a bus in metro Atlanta. In other words, none had ever been in Nelson's shoes:
They had never taken two buses to go grocery shopping at Wal-Mart with three kids in tow. They had never missed a transfer on the way home that caused them to wait a full hour-and-a-half with tired and hungry kids for the next bus. They had never been let off at a bus stop on a five-lane speedway, with their apartment in sight across the road, and been asked to drag those three little ones an additional half-mile-plus down the road to the nearest traffic signal and back in order to get home at last.
And they had never lost control of an over-eager four-year-old as they waited on a three-foot median for a car to pass. Nor had they watched helplessly as a driver who had had "three or four" beers and two painkillers barreled toward their child.
That's right: Because Nelson did not lug her exhausted little ones three-tenths of a mile from the bus stop to a traffic signal in order to cross five lanes of traffic, she is guilty of vehicular homicide. Because she did as her fellow bus riders, who crossed at the same time and place, and because she did what pedestrians will do every time – take the shortest reasonable path – she is guilty of vehicular homicide.
What about the highway designers, traffic engineers, transit planners and land use regulators who allowed a bus stop to be placed so far from a signal and made no other provision for a safe crossing; who allowed – even encouraged, with wide, straight lanes – prevailing speeds of 50-plus on a road flanked by houses and apartments; who carved a fifth lane out of a wider median that could have provided more of a safe refuge for pedestrians; who designed the entire landscape to be hostile to people trying to get to work and groceries despite having no access to a car?
They are as innocent as the day is long, according to the solicitor general's office.


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Creative and Stylish Bookshelf Designs.
Designed by Karen Babel, perfect solution for very small spaces.
A desktop bookshelf which can hold about five books & uses the weight of the books to maintain stability.
Here we have 'Shelves with a Bench' designed by Stanislav Katz.
Here we have Ron Arad's flexible bookshelf that can form unlimited shapes which can be limited only by ones personal creativity.
An interesting 'Equation Bookshelf'.
An interesting design by Huting, & the best part of this design is that the modular system enables the user to decide how to install the cables which allows it to be tailor made for any room.
If you are a book lover & are having short of space in your apartment, then this is an ingenious solution for you - Stairs bookcase.
London-based Levitate Architects who created this states: "creating a new bedroom level and increasing the floor area of the flat by approximately one third." And it turned out to be a perfect the way to access the bedroom & a place to store books. And what more "With a skylight above lighting the staircase, it becomes the perfect place to stop and browse a tome."
The Incredible Bookman is designed by East Anglian artist Kazmierz Szmauz, & can hold about 100 books. It measures 70 inches high by 45 inches wide & is made from Mahogany, although other woods can be used.
Here we have another interesting bookcase by Olivier Peyricot with its unique design.
Another good solution for your set of books!
This interesting designed bookcase is by Carl Gromoll.
Few more of bookshelves:
Don't miss to check out "Creative and Stylish Bookshelf and Bookcase Designs – Part: 1| 2| 3| 4| 5".
Other Posts:
Droste Effect.
Painted Planes.
Ads Using Poles.
12 Most Amazing Illusions.
Houses With A Difference.


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Congrats Phillies on a Phantastic World Series
Congrats to the Philadelphia Phillies for a hard fought, clean series. the games on the field were some of the best all-around baseball we have seen played against our Tampa Bay Rays this year.
You deserve the win, and the celebration. The play where Chase Utley threw to Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz at the plate with the Rays, Jason Bartlett barreling in on him was on the money and the play of the game.
Broad Street deserves this win, and the Phillies and their organization can be proud of the way they handled themselves on the field during the World Series. Congrats to Pat Guillick, who kinds wavered a bit there. Maybe he will comer back for another season Phillie fans?
Go celebrate Philly as we plan and have our own party for our boys in downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday, November 1st. It was an end to an incredible season for both teams. We still have a million things to be proud of this season with the Rays.
I will be posting a World Series Game 5.5 blog in the morning. I think it is only fitting that we let the Phillies celebrate and relish the acccomplishments they have earned this season. In hindsight, it might have taken almost 48 hours more than planned, but the celebration is going on wild in the streets of Philly right now.
So, come back in the afternoon for my wrap-up of tonight's game and for the latest news on the Rays celebration in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
Again, Congrats Phillies on a great season and World Championship.


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Slides, Games, & Rides for Any Carnival or Event Rental in Forsyth
For over twenty-five years we've been providing fun and innovative equipment to events throughout the Forsyth Area. Our experienced team of event equipment professionals can help you ensure the success of your next event - Corporate Event, Community Event, School Carnival, Family Reunion, Quinceaneras, Bar/Bat Miztvahs, Field Day, Pool Party, Team Building Day, and many others.
We have a huge array of event inflatables and event rental equipment to choose from including bounce houses, bounce, and slide combos, obstacle courses, interactive games, water slides, slip and slides, dunk tanks, carnival rides, dry slides, corn hole, jumbo yard games, popcorn, snow cone, and cotton candy machines and supplies, tents, tables and chairs, toddler playlands, rock walls, trackless trains, euro bungees, photo booths, and so much more!
With our value-oriented pricing, we will work within your budget to provide as much fun as possible for your event. Our goal is to provide safe, clean and event appropriate rental equipment and services to exceed our client's expectations. Additionally, we are always expanding our product line to include the newest and most relevant fun items, so if we do not have something you desire for your event, let us know.
Carnival Games and Inflatables, Concessions, Rides, and More Forsyth Event Rental Items!
Booking is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
2. Select the Item/s you would like to rent.
3. Input your information and pay a small deposit.


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Three more cameras from Nikon today, starting with a first: the S800c WiFi connected camera running the Android OS.
Nikon Coolpix S800c
The S800c isn't just another camera with WiFi connectivity – it runs the Android Operating system. Users can download Android apps, upload photos to social networks and even surf the web. It will be able to run the same camera-centric apps as an Android phone, taking advantage of a more sophisticated lens, sensor and processing system.
On the hardware side the S800c offers a 10x optical zoom lens covering the 25-250mm range and uses a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. A burst mode of 8 fps is available, though it's limited to just 3 frames at that speed. Full 1080 HD video is available, as is a built-in GPS function.
The S800c takes an "anything you can do, I can do better" answer to the smartphone camera. It offers optical stabilization and a 10x zoom lens. You'd be hard pressed to find that in any phone. It invades smartphone territory by offering access to the same apps. However, it doesn't offer exactly the same connectivity of a phone. When the user has access to a WiFi network, images can be uploaded that way, but without an available network files will need to be pushed via ad hoc network to a compatible phone or tablet.
Nikon Coolpix P7700
Updating an advance compact line that started with the P7000, this iteration brings a new 1/1.7-inch, 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. It offers a 7.1x optical zoom lens with a fast f/2 maximum aperture. Burst shooting is available at 8 fps for up to 6 frames. The P7700 offers a 3.0-inch vari-angle LCD for help with composition in unusual situations.
Nikon Coolpix S01
The S01 is a new line for Nikon, introducing a new ultra-compact form factor. It offers a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch touch screen. It uses a 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor and offers only electronic VR, or vibration reduction. Video resolution tops out at 720p.
Pricing and Availability
The Coolpix S800c will cost $349.99 with availability in September 2012. The S01 is offered at $179.95, and the P7700 will cost $499.95. Both the S01 and P7700 will be available in September.


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Canada's Rebecca Lee-Bentham shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to tie Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn for the top spot in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, leading the 20 players who earned full status.
Lee-Bentham and Jutanugarn finished the five-round event at 13-under 347 at LPGA International. Lee-Bentham birdied four of the last seven holes.
``I wasn't really thinking about coming in first or anything,'' Lee-Bentham said. ``I just wanted to play well and focus on striking it well and making putts. I've been waiting for this for a while. It's been a long grind for everybody out here.''
The 18-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 74 after taking a six-stroke lead into the day.
``I'm so happy to get my card,'' Jutanugarn said. ``I got it and that was my goal.''
Japan's Ayako Uehara was third at 12 under after a 69. Kathleen Ekey followed at 10 under after a 65, and Lisa McCloskey and Japan's Chie Arimura were 8 under. McCloskey had a 71, and Arimura shot 70.
Two-time tour winner Laura Diaz improved her status, tying for eighth at 6 under after a 72. Christina Kim, also a two-time tour winner, failed to improve her status, shooting a 74 to tie for 39th at 1 over.
Felicity Johnson also earned full status along with Karlin Beck, Stephanie Sherlock, Kayla Mortellaro, Kim Welch, Brooke Pancake, Austin Ernst, Caroline Masson, Austrian amateur Marina Stuetz, Lauren Doughtie, Nicole Jeray, Taylore Karle and Irene Cho.
Doughtie, Jeray, Karle and Cho survived a seven-player playoff for the final spots.
``By far the most nerve-racking putt of my life,'' Cho said about her 2-foot birdie try on the final playoff hole. ``I learned a lot about my game this week. About my endurance and patience. But just a lot of emotions right now. I couldn't be happier.''
The 19-year-old Stuetz will be the lone Austrian player on the tour.
``I'm just overwhelmed,'' Stuetz said. ``I can't describe how I feel at the moment. I'm so happy. I made my dream come true. I'm super excited. I told myself I would stay amateur to keep off the pressure, but that I actually made it in the top 20, of course, I will turn pro.''


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This is a tutorial about RSS - Really Simple Syndication.
The tutorial provides
This tutorial puts emphasis on the benefits of RSS.
If you find value in the RSS Tutorial, please feel free to buy me a cup of coffee by making a donation of $1.25
Subscribe to the RSS Tutorial Change Log to be notified when changes are made to this RSS Tutorial.
Subscribe to the RSS Tutorial Reference Blog to be notified about new RSS products, services, and articles that could eventually end up in the RSS Tutorial.
Les Bain
Wizard Creek Consulting
The comments that were part of the Echo commenting system are gone.
Comments start over with the Disqus system


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Just for You
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http://catalog.sunyocc.edu. Please update your bookmarks with the new link. If you have any questions please email
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Gwyneth Paltrow made a splash covering the censored version of Cee-Lo's late summer hit, "Forget You," on "Glee" a few weeks ago, and now comes word that the two are collaborating.
Grammy nominee Cee-Lo told E! News he is teaming up with the Oscar winner for what E! News reported will be some sort of duet.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: School Is In Session! The Cast Of 'Glee,' Season 2!
U.S. & World
"We're actually working on something," the singer told the website. "We've been considering a few things actually."
Cee-Lo added that he wasn't able to reveal the exact nature of their collaboration.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: It's Glamour, It's GOOP, It's Gwyneth!
"It's a little too early to commit to a statement and I won't ruin the surprise because whatever we're going to do is going to be extra cool," he said.
While Gwyneth is expected stateside for New Year's Eve (her rep previously confirmed to Access Hollywood she'll be in Las Vegas, where Coldplay are set to perform on Friday night), the actress and singer haven't yet hooked up in an official capacity, it seems.
"Keep your toes crossed," he said when the website asked if fans can expect something soon from the pair.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: How Sue Sees It - The Best Of Jane Lynch!
Less likely, however, might be a Cee-Lo appearance on "Glee." He told E! News that he'd only do the show if they could "keep it real with me" and get a little dirtier.
"If they're ready to go there and get down and dirty, then we got ourselves a deal! I'll do it then," he added.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Ready For The 'Time Warp'? Scenes From 'The Rocky Horror Glee Show'
As for Gwyneth, as previously revealed on AccessHollywood.com, the actress will reprise her role as substitute teacher Holly Holiday in 2011.
"Glee" returns with its first original episode of 2011, following the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 on FOX.
Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Lea Michele Talks Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Glee' Return & Upcoming Super Bowl Episode
PLAY IT NOW: Heather Morris Gleeks Out Over Gwyneth Paltrow
More from Access: [ Gwyneth Paltrow Glee TV ]


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Welcome to Harry's Bikes, Specialists in all things road and commuter, stockists of exclusive bike brands, cycling apparel & cycling accessories. We cater for all levels of road cycling whether you're a fair weather Sunday morning cyclist or a racing enthusiast.
Bespoke builds are our specialty, contact us today to get your dream bike custom built. Harry's Bikes - Your premier Online bike store!
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I don't really know how many people are debating on apologetics on YouTube since I'm not a regular follower of that community, though I do know one of the incoming links comes from YouTube from a Christian called AntiPelagian who has a collection of videos on apologetic related issues as well as politics. I only watched his video responses but he was using a lot of terminology and ideas that should immediately be familar to the presuppositionalist.
I only write this because several months ago I wrote about the possibility of using YouTube for outreach opportunities and it's encouraging to know that some people are doing so. I hope there will be more Christians making impacts in whatever sphere God has placed them in.
AntiPelagian also writes a blog on Xanga.


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Yeah, yeah, that meme is so last month. Still, there seems to be a theme in the things that motorists say to me when I'm on my bike.
The most common thing that motorists say to me is
I've mostly reached a state of zen on getting honked at. I (mostly) don't care and just let it slide off me. Sometimes though, if the honk is delivered for a longer period of time, or the motorist is particularly close – it just throws me into a blind rage. I was honked at last night, a few blocks from my home. Instead of making the turn onto my block, I put the pedal(s) down and followed the car. I could have caught up to them, but they ran several stop signs (Richard at Cyclelicio.us has an interesting post on "scofflaw" motorists). What would I have done if I caught up with the driver? I dunno… doesn't seem like it would be a teachable moment. But I was in a blind rage, so I sprinted. Eventually, my lack of cardiovascular fitness caught up with me. I was a little worn out from the sprint, but hey, no more blind rage!
The second most common thing that people say to me is
"Great day for a bike ride, huh?"
The first time this happened to me, I wasn't sure what to do so I think I said "Uh, yeah, I guess it is." Motorists can't stop themselves from saying this, so I've come up with a few responses, only a few of which I've tried.
"Then what are you doing in a car?"
"Bike ride? I wish I had time for a bike ride, I've got to get to work!"
"It's always a great day for a bike ride!"
"Hey Lance, get out of the way!"
Evidently, this happens pretty often to people, but it's only happened to me once. I was too far away before I realized what they'd said. But since then, I'm ready for the next time I hear it:
"Lance rides a Trek, can't you see this is a Cannondale?" [or Jamis, or Raleigh, depending on the situation]
"Hey Dale Earnhardt, go drive in circles somewhere!"
What sort of S#!7 do motorists say to you? Got any snappy comebacks?


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With Mother's Day amongst us I thought I'd show a little love to the Woman who birthed all this greatness. I was supposed to be a boy – my name, Lauren. It would've been cool but I'm sure I would've been teased my entire elementary and middle school career. Instead I was a girl and was branded Charlotte Anabar (mixture of barbara & ann, my grandmas). I was still made fun of for such an outlandish, elderly name but today I'm happy to not be one of 1987's TOP baby name choices. Instead it seems I'm 2012's top baby name choice – boo ya! Isn't it weird how you can tell a person's age by their name?
Happy Mother's Day Dear Hildie (in her head she's going "you refer to me as Mother!")
Another question on your mind may be how I keep accumulating the family's photo albums – but I'm keeping them safe and sound don't you fret.